Mythical Book #1

Chapter 21

Standing before Paige is her mother Shalace. With her long dark hair, pale skin, and she is wearing the same blood-stained garments she wore when she passed. "Oh, my lord, Mom!" Paige runs to her mother with tears of joy and sadness both running down her cheeks. They embrace each other, 'She is so cool to the touch.' "Mom, how?"

"Paige, my dear, I don't have much time; I have been waiting for you."

"Waiting, but how? Why? Where are we?"

"You are in a small area of Yomibalba. You have to listen to what I am about to tell you, and then you must go. Paige, you are an heir to the Royal throne. You are a Fairy Princess! Your father is King Niall. You are extremely special and must complete your quest. I want to be able to tell you more, but-" Shalace stops and listens. The ticking sound has morphed into faint sounds of chugging and puffing that are starting to grow in the distance; it's coming from the middle of the fog on the river. "He comes, Paige..."

"Mama, no, I can't just leave you. Not again!"

"Oh, my sweet sprite, my destiny is complete. Yours is what is important. Come." Shalace walks towards the river's edge.

Paige follows, 'Mom is not leaving any footprints in the sand.' Paige starts walking cautiously closer to the river, then stands next to her mother. 'How am I supposed to get across? There are no bridges, or docks with boats.'

There is a flapping sound and Paige sees an old wooden post about 2 indals tall with a white tattered cloth hanging on it. It is moving as if the wind is blowing, but there is no wind. Attached to the post is a small wooden board with the words "Speak your oath," carved in them. Shalace then says, "To the river I make this oath, I give thy passage to my daughter to travel across. Ferryman, she is ready!"

"Wait! No mama, you can't!" Paige cries as her mom backs away from her.

"I paid to be brought over from the other side of the river to meet you, princess. But now only one can cross back over." Shalace says with loving eyes at her daughter.

Paige glances at the water and notices its pitch black. Faintly she hears the sound of water lapping, as if a boat was cruising through the water. But she sees nothing. Then again, the fog is so thick that she wouldn't see a boat unless it was right in front of her. And that is what just occurs; a boat emerges from the thick fog, and makes landfall right in front of Paige.

It's a wooden, flat open boat, with the hull encased in a black metal. It has a basic steam engine that is heated up by a small wood furnace. A large red paddle wheel is attached either side of the boat. A figure in a large black hooded robe, holding a long oar that is used to help steer the boat, stands at attention.

Paige looks back as she hesitantly edges closer towards the boat. Her mom is standing on the beach looking at her with love and pride. Paige then notices down the beach in both directions emerging from the ground, are blueish-white phantoms of magical souls. "Those in the past who did not have payment to cross," A voice echoes from the hooded figure. "Shalace is to join their ranks of lost souls that wander the shores."

"I have to save her!" Paige charges with feeling and not thought; back through the water to get to Shalace. As she gets close to her mom, she can see her mother's body starting to glow white and begin to turn into a phantom. Paige snatches Shalace close to her body. The phantoms surrounding her mom scream in anger and then charge at Paige. The instant they get to where they can grab her, a bluish barrier forms around Paige and Shalace, rendering the phantoms into a burst of oily ash. Two more attack and are instantly destroyed by this magical barrier. Shalace looks at Paige in amazement.

"Little sprite, how?" Shalace is in awe.

"I don't know, but I think is has to do with my mixed blood. But, right now, we are both getting across this river!" Paige takes her mom in tow as the phantoms keep charging and bursting into ash as they get close to Paige and Shalace.

Paige and Shalace start to climb onto the boat. The hooded ferryman turns and puts up his hand to halt the two. Paige then jumps onto the boat and walks forcefully to the ferryman. Shalace follows closely. He begins to pull out a large Warhammer, but Paige is right up on him too quickly. As she slowly gets close to him, her barrier forms, and his arm starts to burn and flake away into ash.

"Now Captain! Take me and my mother across the river! No negotiations!" Paige orders as two more phantoms attack and are vaporized.

"Yes, Your Highness, my apologies. But m'lady, I must warn you, because you are breaking a Law of Styx, the journey across will be more perilous than the shore." The ferry boat captain cowers out, as he quickly moves his arm from Paige's barrier.

"We'll take our chances! GO!" Paige says, in a forceful tone.

He begins to turn the boat around, pointing it towards the other shore. The Laws of Styx, is really just a curse put upon the waters. The laws are the rules placed within the curse; break the rules and consequences follow.

'I've never heard Paige sound like that, or speak that way. It's strong, yet frightening.' Shalace takes note.

As they enter the fog, the air thickens with humidity. The phantoms stopped attacking and things are quiet, 'It's a little too quiet.' "Ferryman, what sort of perils are we to encounter?" Paige asks with a bit of an arrogant tone.

"Paige! Watch your tone!" Shalace scorns Paige.

"Sorry," Paige apologizes.

"My name is Charon, m'lady, and the water is black for a reason," responds the Captain.

Suddenly Shalace yelps as she sees a sodden black dead arm reach out of the water and try to grab her. Two more then try to grab her from the other side of the boat. Paige runs over, pulls her sword out, and starts to hack off the arms. Her barrier isn't making the arms vaporize instantly, but more like with Charon, where they are slowly being turned to ash. But not fast enough to where they can't get Shalace and drag her into the water.

"See, the water is black from the bodies of the dead who do not pay for passage, their magic is to wander the shores, but their bodies drown in the sorrow of the river," Charon says as he keeps the boat at a steady pace.

Paige keeps hacking limbs over and over, but more keep coming. They start to move in unison, causing a wave of water to rock the boat back and forth. Paige and Shalace move to either side of the boat to keep from falling off. Suddenly a large wave of black water and arms rise on one side to come crashing down on top of Paige and Shalace. A flash of golden light streaks by and hits the wave causing it to explode and dissipate. Several more streaks of golden light hit the other waves of arms and then immediately the arms give up, and let the boat move on.

"Where did those golden streaks come from? "Paige asks.

"I'm not exactly sure," Shalace responds looking around.

The fog begins to let up just enough to reveal a small spit of land. Standing on its shores are two figures silhouetted. Paige can make out just enough to tell that they have fins on their face and have webbed hands and are holding tridents. They take a knee and bow their heads in respect as the boat passes by.

"Oh, my, Thank you, my friends!" Shalace shouts at them. "Those are the Telchines. They are the protectors of the river and its passengers. They are the ones who helped me get payment to come across the river. They are sworn to the Royal family. It's also said they actually had a hand in creating the sword you carry."

Paige looks at her sword and looks back at the Telchines and bows her head in respect back as they fade back into the fog.

The rest of the journey was short and uneventful. The boat hits the shore hard, causeing Paige and Shalace to stumble, but not fall. "Thank you, Charon, for the safe passage. And, again I apologize for my behavior earlier." Paige says as she and Shalace disembark.

All Paige can see is a cliff wall with a short old mine opening through it leading out to sunlight. There is no shoreline to speak of in either direction. Only the small part they are standing on. "So wait, Mom, how do you...?" Paige goes to ask her Mom but when she looks at her, she sees her mother glowing gold and starting to fade.

"Don't worry my dear, we will see each other again, remember what I told you! I love you, my princess!" and with that Shalace disappears before Paige's eyes.

"Mom!" Paige cries out.